Crimson Violet
by Vargasu
Summary: "That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..." A memory can change the world, and with change comes pain that no one could have ever dreamed of...
1. Prologue

Crimson Violet : Prologue

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Silence. The only thing in the universe that was so fragile it would break with a single thought. It was thick, filled with depression, sadness and anger. The way it sat within the convention hall on Conventia made it hard for anyone to breath.

He wanted to break out in anger, lash out at sob until he couldn't anymore. But he had to be as stone-faced as all the others in the arena… Had to be neutral during this time of pain.

Purple sighed. It was not his will to be the Almighty Tallest. He missed the days when he was just a smeet, where it was everyone's dream to do something great for the empire. But alas, he was pulled from his elite training for the great measuring. Barely fifty-years old, he had not gone through his mid-cycle growth spurt, but he was still the tallest in his class.

That was the day he met the new tallest, Miyuki.

Miyuki was always there for the two after that day. Both were still only five feet, a mere foot taller than any other in the elite training, but that was enough to ensure them a high political status; Advisors to the Tallest.

Life went by day to day, with laughter, and smiles. But that's when that hideous creature came into the picture. An energy blob, smaller than the one who created it, an insignificant life form. How they were all wrong.

Purple glanced suspiciously over to his fellow co-tallest, seeing his back as he gave the speech. It wasn't going to end anytime soon so he allowed himself to immerse in a memory.

"_Hey, Purple. What is the condition of Zim's energy blob?" Tallest Miyuki asked calmly. _

_She had asked that randomly. The two were wandering around the palace gardens, one of the few places that was still green on Irk. Exotic flowers bloomed in abundance, the perfume drifting away from the blossoms. It made for a relaxing walk for the Almighty Tallest and her supervisor. _

"_Not sure, My Tallest, after all, we saw it only this morning." Purple said with utmost respect._

_She laughed, "I hope he doesn't take offense to my comment."_

_Purple smiled at her innocence. "I'm sure he won't, but it was the truth."_

_The two walked onwards, the concrete path cold on his feet. The two simply talked, going on and on about nothing. Smiling happily, Miyuki wandered away from the path, floating delicately over the thin blades of grass._

_She finally picked a spot, seating herself in the patch of grass. Purple stood behind her, unsure of whether to sit or stand near his tallest._

"_Pur, you can sit you know." She answered for him._

_And so he did. The way the grass tickled his legs through the thin robes of his summer uniform. The pants held no protection to the sharp points. He looked downward as Miyuki's long skirt became speckled with dirt. _

"_I heard one time when I was a smeet that there was a world out there that was covered in green and blue." She said, her bright orbs looking upwards to the sky._

"_But my Tallest, our planet is blue."_

"_Blue with water Pur."_

_This sentence made the purple eyed Irken do a double-take. A planet covered in water? How could one live on such a place?_

"_It must be beautiful. Being surrounded by the green of flowers and trees, far away from any machines… I would love to go there someday." She said with a smile, looking up at the empty sky. An artificial breeze generated by the computer drifted past, making their antennae flow in the wind._

_Purple, seeing Miyuki's smile, couldn't help but smile as well._

"_It does sound nice…"_

_The two shared a moment of peace, no sound emanated from the area but leaves and thorns blowing in the wind._

_The wind brought along a strange sight that day. Sparkling in the light, a crackling ball of white energy came before the two tall Irken. It chirped mechanically._

"_Hello there! You're Zim's energy creature aren't you?" Miyuki reached out a hand to touch the electrified creature before her._

"_My tallest, I would advise against this…" Purple started._

"_Oh relax Pur! It's not like it can eat me or anything…" And she touched it._

_The mechanical chirping turned into a demonic growl, as her hand became enveloped in white lightning._

_She screamed in terror and agony, the pure energy ripping up her arm and throughout her system. Her blue eyes wrenched shut as her face contorted in pain._

_More and more energy began wrapping itself around her, slowly climbing up her arm. Until, there was nothing but her other arm and head visible._

_Purple slashed at the energy, using his fingers to tear away at the creature. Sparks flew everywhere as it flung the annoyance off of it. In absolute despair, he grabbed her hand and held tight._

"_Purple you have to let go! It will eat you too!"_

"_I can't!"_

_Sparks flew in every direction, lashing out at the skin of the much younger Irken. The pain was intense, but Purple refused to let go of his leader. _

_Of his friend._

"_Purple! Tallest Miyuki!" Red called, running onto the scene followed by a whole squadron of elite soldiers. A look of utter shock ran over the other Irken's figures, unsure of how to respond. They had all been trained in hostage situations, almost all of them were delicate in nature, but none involved the captor EATING the captive though._

_Neither Purple nor Miyuki noticed this though. Miyuki grasped Purple's hand with all her might, her eyes squeezed shut. Purple tugged hard, but feeling his hand slip, he opened his eyes in panic._

"_My Tallest!"_

"_Purple…" Miyuki could feel her life clock ticking, the electricity almost destroying her PAK. Her face relaxed. "Purple…"_

Purple couldn't remember what she said after that, but it angered him that she had to die a slow and painful death.

"And on this day, the day of your death, we honor you and you work. Almighty Tallest Miyuki, be safe throughout your journey through the afterworld."

Red finished his speech, stepping away from the podium. Motioning to Pur, the two made their way out of the arena, as the congregation began to mingle.

Something seemed off though. Purple could feel the tension still within the air. Glancing over, Red seemed unaffected by anything. Curious, Purple looked around. The walls were the same, as was the carpet and the lighting fixtures. Everything was the same, yet the feeling did not vanish like it should have.

"Red… Do feel like we're overlooking something?"

"No… Pur, maybe you just need to recharge. Today has been hard on everyone." Red never once looked back at his fellow Tallest. That also made Purple concerned.

"I guess so…"

Three hours had passed and Purple still wasn't comfortable. The recharging chamber seemed more foreboding than ever before, but he knew he shouldn't be afraid.

Putting on a brave face, he squeezed his eyes shut and let the machine plug into his PAK.

"Purple…"

That voice… he knew that voice…

"_Purple…"_

No… it couldn't be…

"_Purple…" Miyuki could feel her life clock ticking, the electricity almost destroying her PAK. Her face relaxed. "Purple…Thank you so much, for everything. Make sure that the next Tallest preserves peace. And tell Zim…"_

"_Miyuki…" Purple whispered._

"_That I forgive him!" And she was no more. _

"_MIYUKI!"_

Purple screamed. Pain erupted in his PAK and deep within his sqeedily-spooch; pain that no medic could ever heal. He knew within that moment that something had gone wrong. That in the past century of ruling he forgot the things that his Tallest had asked him to do.

"Purple? Are you ok? Purple?" Red screamed, the door sliding away from the form.

Purple looked to the crimson eyed Irken, a look of pure despair etched into his eyes.

"Red… Red. Do you remember Miyuki's last words?"

A look of relief washed over Red. "She asked us to rule the universe, remember?"

Nothing would ever be the same between the two Tallests ever again.

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New story and it's IZ! Anyways, my first Invader Zim story. Any opinions are appreciated, even if they are flames. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! Invader Zim (C) Jhonen V.

Peace

MLI


	2. How to Save a Life

Crimson Violet : Chapter One

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Tick, tick.

A sigh, a swish of a door, no footprints.

Tick, tick.

A false smile, a fake laugh.

Tick, tick.

"Damn it…" A growl, low, short. Pained as he wandered through the halls. "Damn it, damn it, damn it."

Purple's eyes were set in a glare as he could hear the ticking noises coming from the bridge. A countdown for the next bio-sweep on a planet that had been conquered.

He sighed.

Tick, tick, tick…

The low rumble signified that it was beginning. A glance out the nearest window proved him right.

The way the planet glowed, bright orange with green dots scattered over the surface. Cities, people, families. The bright blue beam crashed into the planet, and immediately the dots ceased to glow. They didn't fade, they didn't slowly deteriorate, they just stopped. Millions of lives died by their hands again today. The blue light snuffed out any chances of any life remaining.

He could feel their souls screaming at him from the afterlife. They gnawed at his conscience, with small voices pleading for help, for mercy they would never receive.

It was too late anyway.

A loud roar echoed from every room, every Irken mouth screaming out in pure joy. The way the sound grated at his ears made him sick. The expression on his face, sad, angry, disgusted, looked back at him through the window. Deep purple eyes glared back at his very own with everything he wished he could do.

Putting on a neutral mask, the purple Tallest made his way to the central control room. The door swished it's way open as he neared, floating a mere five inched off of the ground.

Red simply sat there on his throne, laughing and cheering. Smile plastered on his face, his eyes closed as he cackled evily. The rest of the crew joining in, the room was bursting with that awful sound.

Purple cleared his throat, gaining the quiet he wished for.

"Oh my gawd Pur! Did you see that? That was awesome!" Red cheered. The blind joy in his voice made Purple want to vomit.

"Yes, amusing." He retained his neutral appearance. "May we please get on with today's schedule?"

Inquisitive eyes bored holes into his face. "Pur? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Red…"

"Pur, Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm just fine…"

It was as if Red could see through the mask like it was glass. Could he see through the pain? Purple thought at one point.

"Purple… You haven't been the same since the anniversary of Miyuki's death…"

That made him snap.

"It's just… She's been gone for a century Red… Don't you think she may have wanted something more?"

Red smiled. Like it was all a joke. "Pur, we both know she wanted us to make the empire great! And we're doing just that!"

Purple had a comeback, it was just not able to be spoken.

_**Incoming transmission from EARTH**_

"Could this day get any better?" Red squealed. "First a bio-sweep and now we get to make fun of Zim!"

Purple groaned.

The mini-irken's face appeared on the large screen. His maroon gaze and clueless smirk greeted the eyes of the Tallest.

"Greeting's my Tallest! The invasion goes well!"

"So what are your plans for today Zim?" Red suppressed a chuckle.

"Oh none today. There is a strange occurrence called a 'blue moon'. Supposedly it is a rare occurance. I wish to see if this creates massive tidal waves to the Iowan coast."

"A blue moon?"

"I'm streaming pictures of it now my tallest."

Purple looked up. A fleeting thought wishing his eyes to meet the ball of dust. A cascade of blue, a deep methodical blue radiating against the inky blackness of space. Light grey clouds that promised to one day cry acid daintily floated across the sky in front of it. The ball itself was covered in craters, forming a face. The face looked down on the world, observing a rainbow city in the distance.

"_Wouldn't it be funny if our moon had a face Pur? It could be a shocked face, or a sad face or even a happy face!"_

Eyes widened; his neutral mask shattering into a million pieces. The look of disbelief flitted across his face.

A shooting star seemed to flit across the sky, trying to shine its brightest during its final moments.

"_Check it out Pur! A shooting star! Make a wish and say it three times before it fades and it will come true!"_

It was as if a flood gate had been opened. The blue moon triggering wave after wave after wave of memories he never even knew he had. He could hear someone screaming, someone's rough hands gripping his antennae in a death grip. Then he realized that the screams and hands were his own.

"My Tallest!"

"PURPLE!"

He fell to his knees, the cold floor greeted him for the first time in a long time. His head neared the floor, his screams of agony only grew louder and louder until he felt as if he would go deaf. White sparks flew from his PAK, scorching the ground near the pilot's feet, and electrifying the controls.

"My Talle…" Zim's concerned voice was cut short and replaced with cold static. More and more white sparks flew from Purple's PAK until he was surrounded by a dome of white.

Still he could hear her voice. See her smile, and smell that sweet scent that reminded him of freshly made doughnuts that always seemed to wrap around her.

Eyes wide and frantic, Purple extended his PAK's legs, extending up off of the ground and skittering wildly. Panic had set in, overriding all thought and sending his squeedily-spooch into a frenzy.

"PURPLE! PURPLE!" Red was screaming, his voice drowning in a sea of yelps from the scattering smaller Irkens. The bridge was emptying quickly, and Red honestly was scared.

But Purple's screams of pain caused his brother to act instead of think. Red extended his own spider legs, raising himself to the height of the other tallest.

Red could see the panic and pain clouding the purple orbs of his counterpart.

Red reached out, electricity dancing along his arm, staining it black in many places. His dual claws and gauntlet spazzed drastically, forcing him to draw back his hand. White sparks danced lightly over the red and black gauntlet.

Red gritted his teeth and forced his hand out again, slashing wildly at the electric shield. The screams grew louder and louder.

Then there was silence.

A wild slash had connected with the Tallest's face, making two long parallel marks running down the side of Purple's face. They oozed dark green blood and sparkled with electricity. Body limp, eyes open yet unseeing, mouth gasping for breath. Purple looked up with a betrayed look.

"Purple? Oh my Irk I am so sorry! Is there anything I can do?"

"Red…"

"A medic! A recharge chamber! A day off! Someone get a plaster-aid!"

"Red."

"Oh my god if it gets infected we could lose you! If you die…"

"Red!"

Quiet, no noise.

"All I want is to be alone. Tell everyone not to disturb me or they will be tortured before being thrown out the air lock."

As he lowered himself to the floor, he looked up to the static on the transmission, glaring at the place that once held the beauty of a moon. Glaring he realized the thing Miyuki had probably always wanted.

Turn, run, doors swishing open and shut.

She had always spoke of a place that she heard of as a smeet.

Type in the code for the door, swishing open, swishing shut.

She would smile when she spoke of it. She would gain a far off look on her face, as if locked within a pleasant memory.

Door locked, float over to the window.

The stars and moon and blue and green planet she would always speak of…

Had been located.

He never would have guessed that the place Miyuki had always searched for was a real place. But then again, after the memories he had received today…

It was as if he suddenly became smarter, remembering things he hadn't in over ninety-seven years. And he knew why too.

There were reasons that after Miyuki's death that the control brains became more interested in public affairs and the government. Miyuki, at least by what memory told him, was the only one who truly controlled the government. A Monarchy if you will. When she died there was an area of confusion.

It was in that time. He could remember going to the control brains and they repressed all his memories of the girl he considered family.

And that was something he could never forgive.

But looking at his reflection, the blood that was drying on his left cheek and the occasional spark that ran though his body could not compare to the fire that rekindled in his eyes. Purple orbs burned brightly. And in those moments he knew that he had to stop the empire from destroying the universe.

It was what the Tallest wished after all.

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Red at the moment wanted nothing more than to throw someone out the airlock.

He had absolutely no idea what plagued his partner, but he knew that this 'blue moon' was involved in some way.

The bridge was totaled. Everything was destroyed. Black singe marks were still live as white lightning danced across the surface of the keys. No one would be able to even touch them until the electricity died. The screen was cracked in many places, leading one to believe it was hit with a thing Zim mentioned once… a Muh-cine Gun. But that was clearly beside the point.

Point was Zim was involved. And was the cause; At least in Red's eyes.

A janitorial drone swept up bits of charred metal and plastic into a neat pile. A simple smile forming on his face at the simple task.

Red despised people such as that drone. Someone who could find a smile in the midst of destruction not caused by his own two hands made him sick. But he continued to watch the janitor in the reflection of the mirror, refusing to watch so obviously.

Yet the drone never looked up from his work. Sweeping up the pile into a trash can, he moved on to the dying singe marks. The white electricity running up his arms made him wince, but the stupid smile never left his face.

Red looked out the window at the bio-sweeped planet outside. There were hundreds of voot cruisers that by now had probably already heard of the tragedy that befell the Tallest.

He could not fathom what could have possibly caused the PAK to malfunction like that. His field training had left him with some knowledge on how a PAK worked and what it did when it malfunctioned.

And that was no ordinary malfunction.

"Let me know when long range transmissions are back online." Turning and glaring at a technician working on a nearby board. The short Irken saluted, antennae standing straight up and returning back to work at a much faster pace.

Red crossed his arms, and huffed. He was angry, not just at Zim, but himself.

He should have seen that Purple's PAK was malfunctioning. He hadn't been himself since the ceremony, asking weird questions and responding oddly to things that usually made him laugh hysterically. The small frown, the odd looks, even the height at which he floated…

Something needed to be done.

It was time to contact the Control Brains.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

More A/N? What has this world become?

Two updates in a night! Man I am awesome. Lol no I'm not. Anyways, like I said before, I am really glad that you took the time to read this, and I promise it will turn out great. Thanks as always!

Peace

MLI


	3. Crash

Crimson Violet : Chapter Two

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Stars drifted past the Massive. The silence filled the air, and the awkwardness that came with it. With every breath that was taken, with every blink, time seemed to become slower and slower.

Red's day was already taking a turn for the worse.

Every time the aforementioned Tallest would glance over at Purple, he would not see his closest friend, but a look-a-like stranger.

It was like his friend had disappeared, vanishing into another world.

"_Red!" Purple turned to him, waving his puppet self in his co-Tallest's face. "Red look at me! I'm Zim, and I think I'm an invader!"_

Red turned smiling brightly and about to laugh like he did before. But there was no puppet to greet his smile. Purple wasn't even looking at him, his eyes distant.

The crimson's face fell; he turned back to the large window in front of them. He sighed inwardly, knowing that things would not get better until he knew what was wrong.

"Pur? We need to talk."

The service drones caught the tone in their Tallest's voice and immediately filed out of the room. The footsteps faded and all was silent on the bridge for a few moments

"Pur?"

"I heard you Red… I heard you." Purple sighed. He would so much rather be alone at the moment, but his only solace was his reflection.

Red's hand landed gently on his friend's shoulder. He smiled politely, looking at the other's face in the window.

Purple simply stared at the worried eyes in the reflection. The way Red looked at him… he didn't know why but he felt so betrayed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the planet of Judgmentia coming ever slowly into view.

"Red. Why are we going to Judgementia?" Purple's voice was even, containing a dangerous edge.

Red sighed softly. "Pur, you PAK almost exploded, I just wanna get you checked out, make sure everything's ok…"

"_**My Tallest, please be seated, we will be landing momentarily."**_

The onboard computer asked simply as the two returned to their matching thrones. Red sighed in a simple manner, relishing the comfort of the materials taken from Vort's softest couch.

Purple scrunched up his face as best he could. A plaster-aid taped over the scratches that his fellow Tallest gave him merely thirty-six hours prior. The cushy materials made him worried.

If he were to connect to the Control Brains now, would they detect the changes in his memory chips? Would they erase him permanently, and then rewrite his life and personality?

He knew he wouldn't get lucky.

Machines can't produce compassion.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Red walked off to the left, into a waiting room for his appointment. Purple's was first, as Red believed it would be best to get him checked out ASAP.

The series of doorways swished open and shut as the Tallest passed through. He deactivated his hover belt, letting his feet softly pad against the floor. The lavish gold walls were decorated with mirrors that spelled names or symbols that were significant to those alive at one point or another.

The final doors opened and he was met with platforms in varying shaped leading up to a glowing mass of PAKs and multiple screens. Cables ran up the walls and on the floors and ceilings, supporting the platforms he walked on. The Irken symbol was painted on the final platform, and Purple stoop on the center circle of it.

"_**Good evening Tallest Purple." **_The voices boomed through the air and echoed all of the PAKs that had been downloaded into its body.

The Irken nodded in response.

"_**I believe we both know why you have been summoned here today."**_

Another nod.

"_**Then let us get right down to it."**_

A long thin cable extended from the depths of the room and gently prodded at the purple and silver PAK. It nudged a small indention, opening up the robotic device and plugging itself into an outlet.

Purple watched as some of his memories from the past few days flew across the screen before him. But he could feel that they could care less about how the scratches on his cheek came to be or how many donuts he ate four days ago.

The memories slowed down until they got to ones about Miyuki. Her smile, her laugh, her kind and gentle voice ringing out through the dark room.

"_**Hmm… it appears a barrier chip broke…"**_

"A barrier chip?" Purple hoped playing ignorance would get him out of this situation.

"_**Tallest Purple. We know you know that we suppressed your memories."**_

He sighed, so much for that plan. "Ok. Why then?"

"_**You and Tallest Red are so much easier to manipulate and control when you are dumb as rocks. By simply repressing your memories and manipulating you pleasure receptors; you were under the control of the empire. But seeing as you broke yours…"**_ It trailed off.

There was a beat of silence as the purple Tallest waited patiently as possible for the deity before him to continue.

"_**We will give you a choice. Either replace the chip or face the consequences."**_

Soft tingles raced through the cable to the PAK, hoping to sway the Irken in the direction they wanted. Purple gasped as pleasure raced up his spine. He gritted his teeth and remembered the smile and promises he and Miyuki made to each other.

"I… will not!" He screamed.

"_**You are hereby pronounced Defective. Guards will be arriving momentarily to escort you to your cell while you await trial."**_

Purple's eyes widened at the mention of a trial. All trials were overseen by the Control Brains, so if her were to be tried, he would be pronounced guilty.

He frantically grasped the cable keeping him connected to the Control brains. With unseen force and desperation, he ripped the cord out of his PAK and threw it as far away from him as he could.

He turned around in a circle and watched as more and more cords sprung to life and tried to restrain the Tallest. He screamed out in terror and anger, blocking them from his closed PAK. He dodged them, running full throttle down the platforms. He had to get out. Now.

He could see the door; see it open and close as it let in elite soldiers. They all carried standard issue stun guns and plasma guns. Their uniforms smooth and freshly pressed, but their eyes demonstrated a ferocity that could only have been artificial.

Purple did not stop running; he jumped over and ducked under the wildly swinging vines of metal. On the third platform from the door, he stopped, gasping heavily as he mustered the strength to continue dodging.

The elites took this opportunity to close in, their minds not seeing their Almighty Tallest, but another disgusting defect. They hopped into formation and leaped to the platform next to Purple.

The former Tallest blinked, and suddenly found himself surrounded by soldiers and the Control Brain's cords. He smirked, Purple eyes burning with determination that had been hidden from the world since he became Tallest.

He crouched low to the ground, becoming eye level with the smaller soldiers. With a wicked grin, he launched himself into the air. He soared over their heads before twisting around and unleashing his PAK's legs, landing lightly on the ground. He skittered out the door as more and more soldiers began to chase the new defective.

Windows reflected the sky as Purple flew past. If the doors didn't open quickly enough, he would blast through them.

He met with the fork in the hallway where he had last seen Red. The mentioned Tallest burst through the doors along with a service drone. An alarm simultaneously rang through the air and dyed the area with red lights.

"Pur? What's going on?" The look of panic on his friends face made him stop and think. But screams from down the hall brought him back to reality quicker than anticipated/.

"Capture the Defective!"

"There he is!"

"Alpha and Omega units move in!"

Purple murmured various swears under his breath. He looked at Red one last time before running down the only escape route left.

"PUR!" Red gave chase, keeping up with the ex-tallest with more ease than the soldiers did. Purple looked over his shoulder and met Red's eyes.

"Pur? What's going on?"

"Don't let the defective get away!" A general screamed. "Don't let him hurt the Tallest!"

"Hear that Red? I'm a Defective!" He screamed back, before doubling his pace. Zipping down the straight hallway before coming face to face with a window. He looked back, and saw that the army chasing him was only a few door lengths back, without second thought, he exploded through the window.

Shards of glass flew through the air with Purple. They reflected the light around him, almost making him appear to have wings. But he didn't and he landed hard.

His PAK legs were busted, but repairable. They recoiled back to whence they came and Purple was on the move again.

He knew he needed to get away, unless he wished to die.

Red could only watch in awe as his closest friend ran off, seemingly oblivious to the glass in his shoulder, making him bleed gently. But he could not move as the soldiers continued to mobilize troops to capture Purple. He never thought once that Purple could be a defective.

Purple was indeed oblivious to the blood and the looks that he was receiving from the citizens. There were aliens of all types lining the streets, but he stopped for no one.

He passed a stall, a small shop selling hover boards and the like. He grabbed one off of the sidewalk, and threw it a few feet ahead of him.

He had no idea that hover boards were so _fast._

He was zooming down the sidewalk towards the teleport station, people having to run and scream to get out of the way and let others know he was coming. Off in the distance, he could hear the shopkeeper swearing and cursing him.

StunShots flew past him, nicking his armor and piercing the sidewalk around him.

He could see the building ahead, and the large force that would stop at nothing to prevent him from leaving the planet. His antennae whipped against the back of his head and he squinted his eyes in concentration. The plaster-aid that was stuck to his face flew off and landed somewhere behind him. His eyes and face burned, but he didn't stop. He gritted his teeth and sped up.

The soldiers took aim at Purple, preparing their shots to take down the renegade Irken. But they never ever expected what he would do next.

Purple leaped off of the board, sending the small piece of floating metal into the rows of troops where it began to lose speed. The Tall Irken catapulted through the walls of fallen soldiers before running through the doors and locking himself in the teleporter room. He typed in seemingly random coordinates in his panic and was teleported to a spittle runner. As his particles were being distorted to be teleported, he saw the doors explode and one angry general glare at him.

He sighed, and suddenly found himself in a Squadron Racer, a ship used mainly by Vortians. He was slightly cramped, but nonetheless happy. He activated the blasters, and headed to the place that his closest friend always wished to go.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Red sighed; he was back on the Massive, as search efforts on the surface for Purple continued. Once things had calmed down, he went to the Control Brains, who explained to him that his friend had been hiding his Defectiveness.

It angered him, just as much as it wanted to make him cry. He vowed to himself, staring out to the stars, that Purple would be found.

"_Hey Red! Let's be Best Friends Forever!" _

And executed on the spot.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

A/N: Anudder Chappie done! And none too soon… I think the ending was kind of rushed… and I am not the best at writing fast paced battles and chases, but this is a major improvement from the rough draft. I thank everyone so much for their reviews! That really made me ecstatic, so I thank you all for reading!

Peace

MLI


	4. What Have You Done?

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Crimson Violet : Chapter Three

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An angry sigh filled the small ship. Irritated eyes glanced tiredly out of the unfamiliar ship's window. The former Tallest's shoulder was still oozing the dark green blood, the invading piece of glass removed hours ago. His face was cut in many places and the blood from his forehead oozed down to the grooves of the cuts that Red had given him.

Purple wanted nothing more than to die.

He was so embarrassed at his actions the day prior. He could still feel Red's hurt gaze on him. The thought that rang through his head then still did now.

Did he have what he wanted, or what he needed?

He wanted life to return to the way it was before. Living with Red, eating all the donuts he ever could imagine, being pampered by personal servants. When the day Miyuki died was just another day, and she was just another name in the empire's archives.

He needed to wake up. He needed to leave the life of lies behind him, and move on.

He knew that he couldn't go back. He would be erased, the Control Brains would just as soon get rid of him than 'fix' him. He needed to do the one thing that his prior self could never do.

Go to Earth.

Even now, he cringed at the thought. Yet he couldn't stop off at a random planet. There were few of the planets in the galaxy that were not under their complete and utter control. There were some that had treaties with them at the moment, but those were fragile after the invasion of Vort. A Tallest randomly visiting a planet would spark unneeded attention.

His mode of transportation would also attract attention. The Tallest traveling in a Vortian shuttle? Unheard of.

He sighed. He watched as the dark orange planet of Chibio pass by on his right. At least he was on course. He brought out one of the PAKs legs, looking at the bent and dented metal. He ran his fingers over the damaged leg with a remorseful look painted in the purple orbs.

Purple wanted to cry, badly. But years of training had dried up his tear ducts, so why was everything so blurry?

Red's smile haunted his mind, making him feel awful. He had betrayed his best friend. Purple secretly hoped that Red would understand… No doubt now that there was a massive search going on for him, searching every planet until every pebble was overturned.

Yet they would never find him. He was too far away at this point.

So he cried, the clear liquid falling freely down his face and onto the metal leg on his lap.

Typing on the dashboard keyboard, he brought up a map as an unfamiliar blue green planet. It was blue, but seemingly desolate. A huge storm raged on its surface. The scanners indicated that this planet was named 'Neptune'.

Purple could remember that when they were smeets, Miyuki and himself would talk of far away worlds that had strange names like 'Mercury' and 'Uranus'. They laughed at the silly names, and what they might look like.

Purple shook his head, retracting his PAK leg. He raised a forearm to dry the tears as he floated past another planet, he was almost there. He activated the ship's hyper drive, hoping to be at the planet within the day.

Hopefully Zim wouldn't freak out too awfully much.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Master! Lookit the picture I drawed!" Gir shouted.

Zim sighed and took the crayon picture in his hand. It was a simple picture, Zim and Gir waving out to a crowd of people. Zim folded it up and slipped it in the storage compartment in his PAK.

"Gir, why not go eat earth-tacos for a while? I'm busy."

"OKIES!" White smoke flew out of the SIR unit's rockets.

Zim shook his head at the defective SIR unit, he would often wonder if Gir was truly advanced. He made a mental note to ask the Tallest about it once he called them for his daily reports.

"Master: incoming transmission from the Massive."

The computer's voice echoed through the base, ringing off of every surface before meeting the exposed antennae. A quick smile formed on the invader's face before he answered the call.

"Greetings, My Tallest. The invasion goes well."

"Uh-huh."

"Perhaps you would like to drop by? The latest weasel experiments are going… uh… smoothly." An echo of an explosion faded from the back of the lab, and Zim's face held an embarrassed smile.

"That's great Zim, now has a lone Vortian ship been spotted recently…?"

"I also discovered that a Blue Moon doesn't turn blue at all! Can you believe that humans will take photos of their moon and paint it blue? These worms are in desperate need of conquering…"

Red sighed, the noise slightly fragmented. "Zim…"

The short Irken continued to ramble on and on about everything and nothing. He was completely oblivious to his leader's attempts to get and hold on to his attention.

"Zim."

"And then he was like, aw no you didn't. And I was like-"

"Zim! Will you just shut the hell up already?" The crimson Tallest had reached the end of his patience. The yell had come loud and clear through the speakers hidden within the wires.

Maroon eyes widened in response, mouth closing mid sentence. All was silent on both ends; the pilots and drones stopping and staring at their leader. Zim was silent; after all, it was his leader who told him to shut up.

"All I want to know is if Purple has been sighted, not about some gay dude talking to you on the way home! I could care less about your mission, let alone your sexuality you damn defective! You were exiled years ago. I don't even know why I called!"

Zim's eyes narrowed slightly, the accusing glare piercing holes in the now horrified face of his Tallest. He could tell this wasn't supposed to happen. He was half tempted to ask to speak freely. He remained silent though, letting his leader vent.

"You were an invader once! And yet here you are, exiled on a random planet six months away by Voot Cruiser! Your transmissions? Broadcast to the whole of the empire as a comedy show, 'Two Point Five Invaders'. You're the half, Gir and that flying moose thing are the invaders. Your life is a joke Zim! A DAMNED JOKE! "

Zim contemplated for a minute, considering the words. All the times they hung up on him, they couldn't contain their laughter. Was he truly the laughingstock of the empire? No, he wasn't a part of that anymore.

"Really?" Zim's antennae perked up in amusement, an insane smile finding its way to Zim's face. A wild look grew within the already wide eyes. "And what were you planning to accomplish when you told me this? Were you hoping for me to commit suicide?"

He noticed his leader's eyes widen slightly. He knew that no one in the empire was meant to know that one could kill themselves. After all, what use would a dead soldier be?

"You have failed if that was your mission." The transmission was cut, Zim's finger hovering lightly over the keys he had pressed. His insane smile turned into a despondent face. Maroon eyes dulled down to a soft magenta, antennae folded back neatly against his scalp.

Marching steadily to the elevator, he didn't notice the habit he picked up from the many years of training. He numbly went about his routine; not feeling nor thinking. He didn't realize anything was different as the sun beat down on his delicate antennae, the crisp morning air making his maroon eyes water.

The walk to Skool seemed no different, Zim was completely unaware he was without his disguise, as was the majority of the masses walking around him.

A soft mewling could be heard within an alleyway. Turning his head, the small Irken noticed a red recliner, falling apart at the seams but still looked soft enough to sit in. A black and white cat was seated on the cushion, with two smaller kittens nearby. A smaller one, the runt, seemed to be trying to get to its mother and siblings.

Zim could relate to the poor thing. Just because it was smaller than the others… was it to be cast away to die like he was? He watched as the small creature shivered before making a feeble attempt to reach the skyscraper of a chair.

He sighed, walking ahead to reach the dreaded building before the bell rang. He didn't need to deal with another detention…

Yet when he arrived on the grounds, the murmurs and odd looks annoyed him to no end. He was upset enough as it was, and the stupid worm-babies weren't helping improve his mood. The classroom remained quiet as he made his entrance, flicking his antennae absentmindedly. Pursing his lips, Zim took his seat, feeling the awed stared burning holds in the back of his head. Even Ms. Bitters glanced at Zim occasionally as the clock counted down to the time for the bell to ring.

"What's the matter Zim? Decide to end the stupid charade?" The annoying voice of Dib towered over the Irken's head.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Was the even reply.

Dib's amber eyes met Zim's maroon with a knowing smirk. "Then I guess these are removable."

A sharp pain erupted at the base of Zim's left antenna, causing him to cry out in pain. An angry snarl bloomed on the green face, rage spilling over into his eyes. "Don't you dare touch me!"

Gasps and squeals erupted in the classroom as the two rivals exploded into a bundle of fists and insults in front of the teacher's desk. Zim aimed his kicks and punches carefully, anger of the morning's events manifesting. Dib dodged with experience, smirking as he watched the scowl deepen on the irritated alien's face. The human landed a well placed kick to the alien's abdomen, sending him spiraling back a few feet.

"Ten dollars on Dib."

"You're on!"

Zim spit onto the light blue tile, a green clot of blood landing on the shining surface. The pack hissed silently as the PAK's legs unfurled, the sharp points and silver metal gleaming in the dim light.

"I've had enough of you meddling with my life." The calmness in Zim's voice startled Dib more than the intimidating stance the alien had before him. "I didn't become an Elite because of my looks."

Zim charged, the metal limbs propelling him forward. The metal limbs danced along the surface of the tile, skittering in the cramped space. Dib took the only exit he had, jumping through the window and out onto the playground.

Students and teachers alike watched the scene unfold, the battle evolving into an all out war, with Dib receiving the short end of the stick.

"You owe me ten bucks!"

"Not yet!"

Dib dodged the debris of the wall as it crashed down around the petite form, magenta eyes glowing with a dangerous light. Eyes glanced around the imposing form to the surrounding area, and all those watching.

"See! I told you he was an alien!"

A feral battle cry erupted in his right ear and Dib was sent sprawling into the metal structure of the jungle gym. In an instant he was pinned to the ground, Zim towering over him. The metallic legs pinning him to the ground, while one hovered dangerously close to his jungular.

"Goodnight Dib."

The bright sunlight almost hid the incoming fire from his eyes. Yet, the ocular implants noticed the oddly shaped rays, causing the Irken to fling its prey into a tree nearby and drop to the ground in its place.

Dib slammed into the tree, stars and blackness dancing in front of his eyes. His attention was completely focused on the world around him, even if he couldn't see well. Hands brushing against grass and concrete, blindly fumbling for his glasses. His double vision produced what seemed to be two Zims, but one was oddly taller than the other…

Zim hissed, his shoulder numb from the StunShot. Growling he turned and glared at the intruder. All was silent, Zim included.

Dib noticed the change in the atmosphere, and frantically continued his search. His luck finally turned, his palm meeting the cold plastic of his glasses frames. Placing them delicately on his eyes, and briefly observing the lens for hairline cracks; Finding none, he looked before him. His double vision wasn't cured.

Before him, were two Irkens.

He was as stunned as the shorter Irken. The swings creaked softly, creating the only noise in the area. A few browned leaves blew past the feet of the tremendously tall being. It had to be at least six to seven feet tall, staggering over the tiny being. It's robes were a royal purple, torn in several places and stained with dark blood. It held a gun, steaming slightly, face set in a neutral frown.

"I expected more from an Invader, Zim."

All was silent as the alien spoke. His voice clearly told a back story of royalty and war.

"M-My Tallest?" Zim's voice sounded scared, shocked, and angry. His eyes betrayed his innermost thoughts to not only his leader, but to all those who knew how to look.

Dib's eyes widened slightly. He recalled seeing him once over transmission when Zim was doing something away from his base. But… He seemed different. Smarter? Deadlier?

Purple allowed himself to smile. Finally, after the long three day strife, he found his target. And hopefully his soon to be partner in crime.

"My T-Tallest? Wha… What are you doing here?"

"I need your help Zim."

There was a beat so silence. As far as Dib, Zim or Purple knew, there was no one outside of their little world. A teacher stepped aside, pulling a cell phone from her pocket. A three digit phone number was dialed.

"Is that true?" Zim sounded almost suspicious of the Irken before him. His eyes were narrowed slightly, maroon shining against the morning light.

Purple orbs widened slightly in response. "What makes you say that?"

Zim shrugged, closing his eyes and acting indifferently. 'I received a transmission from the Massive this morning. Someone told me some vicious… lies… about you and my other Tallest."

Purple's pupils visually shrunk. A shocked expression creeped into his face. There was a fleeting thought that maybe Red had called… but the hypothesis was missing a component: A reason why.

"Tell me honestly. Is my mission false?"

Purple frantically tried to avoid the question. "You are in no position to ask questions!" He stated; panic rising ever so subtly in his voice.

"Answer me!" Zim roared. The anger from earlier reappearing in his voice and body language.

Purple couldn't answer that question. Instead he adverted his gaze to the human from earlier, staring without being obvious. The regret in his eyes drank in the boy's injuries; cuts scraped and bruises littered his body. The pale skin looked as if it had been sliced many times before, and this was no different. A realization dawned on Purple. Zim and the human had been fighting long before he came. The human knew Zim was an alien.

Dib could clearly see the remorse in the alien leader's eyes. It pained him to no end seeing another being have the same expression as he did in the mirror. He looked at his reflection that way many times after a failed mission or argument with his dad.

"You sick bastard…"

Zim was openly crying at this point. The soft water tears not scalding his skin at all. They gently made their way down his face and onto the ground, leaving wet patches.

"How could you? I trusted you! I looked up to you! Yet here we are on some shithole of a planet! How much of my life is a joke, a lie? How many times have my reports been broadcasted as a freaking comedy show? Why? Why… why… WHY?"

Zim's voice was rising to a fever pitch. Dib could no longer follow the conversation, as Zim had started screaming in irken. Purple's antennae were folded back against his head, looking at the PAK legs instead of the pained invader's face.

"I don't understand… Zim, I thought you had a skin condition…" The soft voice of Keef floated through the air, barely a whisper.

"Don't understand? What's not to understand you filthy worm-child? Dib was right all along! I AM AN ALIEN!"

Softly sirens faded in the background, steadily getting louder and louder, yet they were still too far off for anyone to care.

"Zim! Calm down!" Dib had had enough. Amber eyes displaying sympathy and compassion, waiting.

"Calm down…? You can shove that 'calm down' up your ass!"

"Zim!"

"You know what Dib? I'm sick of your voice. Speak one more word and I will lock you in a world of which there is no waking." Zim's voice was dangerously low, promising death with the flick of a wrist.

The sirens were unbelievably loud. Seemingly they appeared out of nowhere. Blue, white and red lights flashed all around the Skool, men with guns clearing away everyone they could from the scene. A helicopter hovered overhead, the blades buffering the air around the trio.

"Halt aliens! Surrender yourselves!"

Purple glared out into their new audience, bracing himself. Dib was now stuck behind the former Tallest, the leader's PAK leg crossed protectively over his chest. The human couldn't comprehend why though. Zim glared at both parties.

"Zim! Please come with me!"

"This is your last warning alien!"

Zim let out a feral screech, letting his anger cloud his common sense. Rising on his PAK legs, he catapulted himself onto the roof of the school, before hopping to another nearby. He fled from the police, rampaging on the roofs. Police officers ran past Purple and Dib, chasing the immediate threat.

It wasn't long before both Purple and Dib were giving chase as well.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Night had fallen, and Zim was still running. He was finally gaining the upper hand in the alleyways near the Skool. He had been leading the humans in circles for hours, depleting their numbers and speed ever so slowly.

Frost had formed on the roofs, the cold air making his eyes sting and antennae twitch rapidly. A slick patch of ice had formed, making the Irken skid into the gutter. He tumbled, failing to regain his balance; he fell straight into a dumpster.

"UGH! That is SO disgusting! These humans could really use a good conquering…"

Pulling himself out of the rotting food scraps and other miscellaneous trash, he dusted himself off. His surroundings looked foreign, all but a large red recliner.

Maroon eyes softened as the same mewling from earlier greeted his senses. The tiny kitten still cried at its mother, the scrawny kitten was on the verge of passing the point of no return. It tensed itself for one last try. It flew through the air, landing on the very edge of the cushion. It collapsed on the spot, tired and weak from its journey from the ground to the chair. The beautiful white mother cat immediately went and picked up the runt, carrying it over to the other kittens. As soon as it had the chance, it began to suckle as the she-cat bathed the kit.

Zim realized in that moment, what the small kitten symbolized. Zim had made it to the cushion, but when Purple tried to accept him, he hissed and rejected him.

He did not care when the law enforcement and federal agents caught up with him. He was tackled to the ground, his body forced into a straightjacket re-enforced with chains. He was shoved out of the alley into the harsh search lights of the helicopters above.

Dib couldn't breathe, his lungs were burning, as were his legs, but he couldn't stop now. The crowd ahead signaled something was up.

Dib forced his way to the front lines, shoving past the paramedics, pedestrians, civilians and police. An armored truck was situated in front of an alleyway, a mother cat hissing at the strange people near her kittens. They drug a green skinned child out from the darkness. He was fitted in a beige straightjacket, which covered a bulge that looked like a silver backpack.

Dib wanted to cry. Zim was more than likely going to end up on an autopsy table, and he saved earth. Yet his victory was dead, empty. He was so torn over the scene before him, he had no idea that the other Irken was behind him.

Purple was upset. He knew that Zim would react badly if he ever found out what he did today. The purple orbs wished they could take back everything. Yet the future was the only thing that could be written and rewritten.

Zim turned and smiled at the two, an enlightened calmness shining in his eyes. He mouthed two words, a tear dripping down the side of his cheek as he was thrown roughly in the van and it was bolted shut.

'Forgive me…'

"ZIM!" Dib tried to charge forward, but two thin arms wrapped around his waist, forcing him back. Purple held tight to the wriggling human, who tried desperately to get to his rival. "Zim! Zim!"

Both Purple and Zim were sobbing, forcing each other to watch the truck speed off to its destination.

Membrane Labs.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Grah! So angsty! It won't always be this dark, but it needs to be for the beginning… Anyways I feel awful for not updating sooner… Marching band is awesome though. ;3 Anyways Dib and Purple will have an interesting relationship and no it will not be DAPR you sickos. And no ZADR either! =.= The next chapter is gonna be fast paced so prepare yourself!

Peace MLI


	5. The Poet and the Pendulum

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Crimson Violet : Chapter Four

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Zim could hear the doors click shut, and more shouts, muffled by the metal walls that surrounded him. The straight jacket was pulling at his shoulder muscles, making them ache ever so slightly. The heavy chains that wrapped around his wrists held him down, keeping him from seeing the commotion outside. But the voices he could hear were his captors and Dib.

He smiled, knowing that Dib would miss him. Knowing that he had won that little battle, causing his rival grief.

Yet he was sad. The maroon eyes shone in the streetlight pouring in through the small barred window. He sat himself up, twitching his antennae ever so slightly.

The truck started, the low rumble of the engine drowned out the fading voices of those outside. It started quickly, as if someone had floored it, sending the small alien to the floor. Every time he would try to sit up, he was forced to the ground again be a pothole or disregarded speed bump.

He wanted to cry, but he was an invader. He couldn't, he would never let the humans see weakness.

So he watched the streetlights fly past, running from hell.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

All was silent. The door to the human's room was locked. The golden light from the streetlights outside the window cast light in on the two figures, bathing them in a soft light. Curtains were pulled and a lamp was turned on.

"We should be safe here, for the time being."

The tall Irken didn't respond. As much as he disliked Zim, it was hard not to be worried. He let his thoughts drift to what normally happened to an Irken Invader who was caught in the act. They would be captured, interrogated, and sometimes killed and tortured. Sometimes, on rare occasions, they would be brainwashed into telling secrets about the Armada's position.

But these creatures were ignorant about the universe around them. Barely out of the crib of single-celled, they had not even mastered video communications. Yet they did figure out something even the top Irken scientists on Vort would have never thought of: Nuclear Weaponry.

"You're Zim's leader, Right?" Dib was extremely curious about the alien in front of him. He was dying to ask a million questions at a million miles an hour. The human tried not to be too obvious about it though.

"Ex." Purple made it a point to try to be careful of his English. The human had no universal translator, so the Irken could not speak as freely as he wished.

"Oh…" The floodgates opened. "So why are you here then? Do you really want to take over Earth? If not then why are you here? Weren't there two of you? Why are you dressed as a girl? Can I…"

Purple glared down at the small human, his purple eyes reflecting the yellow-orange streetlight in a way that made him look menacing. It was enough to shut the human up. But it didn't stop him from smiling sheepishly.

"So…"

"Listen… Dib was it? I need to get Zim and get off this planet before I am tracked out here and the armada begins their search here. Any idea where he might be?"

"Um… Yeah, they looked as if they were headed off to my Dad's lab."

"And where is it located?"

"Other side of town."

"Good. We're leaving." The alien walked towards the small door that led back out into the main area of the human's home. Pur sighed as the round doorknob refused to bend to the will of the Irken, turning around, he noticed as Dib was pulling a black T-shirt over his head. "Um… what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Dib smoothed back his scythe-like hair, only to moan slightly when it popped back into place. The soft plush of his pants soothed the slight chafe he had gained from the constant running of the day. "Getting ready for bed."

The Irken was shocked. "What? Why?"

Dib's tiredness was getting to him, giving him an annoyed edge in his voice. "Because unlike Irkens, Humans need to sleep. And it's one a.m. and I have Skool tomorrow."

"Aren't you interested at ALL in saving Zim?" On the inside Purple was freaking out. Was this kid bi-polar? Just a few hours ago he was sobbing hysterically as the armored truck carried away his alien classmate.

"Not really." Dib shrugged.

"THE HELL? You were bawling when your paternal unit's servants carried off Zim!"

"Of course I was. And I'm still mad about it. Dad has taken away the thing that was supposed to make me famous! And now Zim's going to get dissected and if I want to even see it on T.V. I'll have to sneak in! This sucks so much!"

Purple eyes held a dumbfounded look, unable to truly process what the small creature brushing its teeth before him had said. If news of Zim's capture were to reach the armada, the whole of Irk would come to his rescue. But he could see now that humans were selfish beings, looking to further themselves instead of the whole. It astonished him greatly, but it was a new planet, new rules.

Dib climbed into bed, sliding the spaceship covers over his small frame, feeling the Irken's glare drilling into the back of his oversized head. He removed his glasses, looking at the grime that had built up over the day before setting them on his nightstand. Facing the wall, he called out to the alien, "Make yourself comfortable, you won't be able to leave until they give up searching for you."

He turned off the lights.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"We're here alien scum."

The darkness shrouded the undoubtedly gruff security guard. Their face was shadowed in the glow of the sterile building's doors behind him.

The rough hands grabbed Zim by the back of the straightjacket that kept him still throughout the entire ride. Zim dangled in the air, a slightly cocky scowl embroidered his face.

"You're just lucky the Armada has no idea of my capture!"

"Yeah sure. Membrane's got a helluva plan for ya." Was the even response.

He was carried inside, his boots hovering several feet above the floor. He watched as countless scientists watched him pass, prepping rooms for experiments of all kinds. Lights flickered behind closed doors, screams of many types echoed from a single room. The blinding white lights, white floors and ceilings, even the white walls made the place more foreboding than any lair he had ever seen.

His antennae flattened against his head as the human carried him on, parading him through the endless corridors that all looked identical to the last. Every door had someone's name on it, and a title showing what they were to Dib's parental unit.

Things like 'assistant's assistant's assistant' were the more humorous ones. Yet there were some like 'exotic experiments coordinator' and 'dissection department director' were the ones that haunted him. There was no way of telling the doors apart, other than the black lettering stuck to the windows.

An unmarked door greeted his face instantaneously; no light's coming from the room behind it. The door next to it said 'Professor Membrane'. Nothing more, nothing less.

The man chuckled darkly, flinging the small Irken into the bright white room. There was literally nothing in it. A small mattress in the corner was all that adorned the plain room.

"Have fun. This'll be yer room 'til ya die."

The door slammed shut, echoing around the Irken's antennae. The straightjacket fell slack against his frame. He laughed lightly, wiggling his way out of the now loose straight jacket. "Stupid, stupid human."

He glanced around his room, numbly walking over to the mattress. It was held up by nothing but the floor. Maroon eyes dulled down, a sad smile gracing his face. "My Tallest, forgive me."

He sat on the makeshift bed, face collapsing into his palms. He wanted to cry so badly, but had to be brave. He had been through worse? He prayed he had.

Lying down, he looked at the empty ceiling. As soon as he spoke to someone again, he would ask them for a crayon. This place needed some color. Badly.

Zim continued to lie on the hard mattress, feeling his PAK press into his back. He refused to open it and use his spider legs. Then he would lose what he hoped was an advantage over the humans. The ceiling remained white as ever, the room silent as life seemed to stand still.

A knock at the door startled the Irken out of his daze, his uniform ruffling slightly against the mattress. The door opened swiftly, letting a man in a white lab coat through, before latching and locking itself shut once again. The man shuffled a few papers in a manila file, looking up at him through thick goggles. The white coat fluttered as he walked, calmly taking a seat in the center of the room.

"Zim."

"Dib's parental unit."

All was silent again.

"Shall we begin? Today is just a preliminary round. Just to see what's on the outside. Maybe if you're good you'll get a lollipop, isn't that nice?"

Zim scowled. Refusing to look at the human. He looked to the left, shutting his eyes. He could hear the man approach, causing the vermillion being to swallow thickly. A soft click signaled the beginning of the audio recording.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Murmurs flitted through the dark halls. The building seemed to be falling apart at the very seams, yet managed to hold itself together. After all, they could just leave the fragments to rot, find a new place to scheme and fight.

They could never leave this wretched place, after all, outside of this place their names would change. Everyone would call them something different. They had tried to leave, but the pure similarities were just too shocking for even her to comprehend.

She skittered around the room, hissing and glaring at the being standing ever so relaxed in the center of the room. Tentacles massaged the air above her back, dark skin and glowing eyes matched with demonic teeth. Fear was acting purely on what her counterpart Ms. Bitters would do.

"How could you do this to us?"

"I did not do anything."

Arguments could last for many sleep cycles in this world. But this one has just started. Even in this Nightmare Realm, there was always something new. Everyday new emotions would appear, others vanish, and some would morph into new beings entirely.

Professor Membrane, long white lab coat flaring up at the bottom and reaching up to the sky as if on fire, long metallic claws extending several inches from the tips of his fingers. He was calm, knowing that if he were to die, the world of the child's head would surely crumble. Some would contend it already has, as twisted as Love had become.

Anger, the tiny purple haired being, sucked on her juice box contemplating where this argument would go. Even though her counterpart Gaz would not have cared, she did. The screaming irritated her, but she knew Fear would rip her apart and Love would erase her existence if she intervened.

Back and forth it went the argument that never stopped. Logic came up, trying to strike up a conversation with anger, who lashed out.

Happiness looked out her window, her counterpart long dead. Long wavy locks of pure purple hair and eyes that shone like stars. Her skin was perfect, her face symmetrical. In her arms she cradled a child. It was unknown what he would look like, but his name was clear. Euphoria. She hid the child, afraid that the argument outside would kill this premature emotion.

The four person riot attracted other emotions. Disgust, Sadness, Shame, Envy… the brawl was fueled by the growing of Anger. She had transformed, growing taller, the yellow bow in her hair forming tendrils that snaked around. She could feel the pure rage that their host was feeling, wondering if his physical dad had captured the green one.

"I hate you!" the scream was louder than any other, no one knowing who yelled it, but the reaction was different than expected.

"Hate… You filthy beings do not know the meaning of the word."

All grew silent as the one of the youngest, yet oldest emotion to grace Dib's consciousness. He stood at medium height, a magenta tunic splattered with blood extended to mid thigh. Four long black spider legs reaching down to the ground, making a soft 'tak' with each slow and deliberate step. Green skin, glowing with a subtle light with Magenta eyes shining with an evil glint. Two antennae rested gently on his head, long and leathery to the touch. Pure white, zipper-like teeth formed into a beautiful yet destructive smirk that forced everyone to stop and stare at the presence before them. Every step was forceful, deliberate and purposeful. The hell hound that stood beside him grinned in an unearthly way, flames licking up from the ground where it stood.

"None of you could ever truly understand the meaning of the word. Until you despise someone's very presence, until you want to destroy their very existence, to have their guts strewn across a table. Until you desire to pick up a scalpel and feel their blood running through your fingers and splattering on the floor. To frown at the very thought, memory, or sight of them. To erase them from the world… Hate is a combination of all of you. And until you can see beyond that…" He turned. "You will never understand."

The two manifestations, hate and destruction, fed from each other. They were never apart. So step by step they left, in perfect synchronicity. It finally settled in to mist of the beings there, things were changing for the twelve year old, and so would they, even if not by choice.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Purple walked down the stairway, finding the dark room boring, as he could not access the child's computer without a pillow to the face. He padded down each step silently, as not to alert the entire planet to his whereabouts. The hardwood shone in the darkness, making the floor seem invisible to all but him. Purple eyes wandered over the many photos of the family, all had a date inscribed underneath.

All the photos were of the trio of humans who lived in the home. In all they were wearing black formal attire, the tall one in his finest lab coat as if he had to be pulled from work for the precious few seconds that were needed for a photo with his two children. No one smiled in any of the photos.

The Irken stopped and sighed, his PAK making a soft whirring noise as it processed the air. Antennae twitched slightly as he listened to the noises of the night. Sirens, cars, music, noise that would insist on keeping the being awake.

Wandering the home, he investigated the way a human's home was built. There were many unnecessary rooms, having multiple objects that would not be useful anywhere else. Irkens made use of all the space they could, the useless spaces being made into something more productive, like storage or snack production.

Speaking of snacks…

Purple wandered into the kitchen area, noting the odd cooking utensils. He held up a spoon, curious as to how a miniature shovel was associated with food consumption. He placed it back down on the marble countertop, wandering over to what he hoped to be the pantry. Upon approaching, a gleaming gold orb jutted out from the left side of the door. Its gleaming shininess taunted the Irken, as he had no idea how to work a doorknob.

Reaching forward, he grasped either side with a finger, and attempted to twist it. His fingers slipped from around it. Trying once more, he twisted the other way. The brass sphere refused to budge. Pulling back, he glared at the item, inspecting it with a dark glare. Purple reached out and poked the protruding item, irritated as it refused to move.

That's when he saw it.

A small hole near the bottom, about as round as his pencil thin fingers. Purple smiled as he stuck his finger in, determined that the identification device within would let him through. There was no noise, but Purple smiled as he attempted to pull his finger back out. The keyhole clung to the foreign object, refusing to release it from its grasp. An inquisitive frown transformed to an irritated scowl as the violet eyed leader struggled to get his finger loose from the mechanism. The brass object stayed put. Purple put his foot to the door, other planted on the floor. Grasping his wrist right above where the gauntlet ended, he sharply tugged. The pure force ripped the finger from the door, sending the Irken flying backwards with the leftover force.

The countertop shook when the Irken collided with the cabinetry beneath, rattling the cutlery, pots and pans above. Purple glanced up, only to have his vision impaired as a strainer fell on top of his head. He lifted the rim over his eyes to find he had been lucky. Steak knives had fallen all around him, sticking blade down in the floor.

He shrunk back, before standing. The strainer acted like a shiny helmet as he ferociously attacked the door barring his way to precious snack foods.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Dib smiled and rolled over, sleeping peacefully as dawn greeted their section of the world. He was nestled deep within the covers of his bed. The dreamless sleep was a comfort after the chaos of last night.

"KOUCEI REKO!"

Until a scream of frustration penetrated through his cocoon of sleep. The human started, panicking for a second before realizing that Purple was no longer in the room. Sighing, he fumbled for his glasses, forcing them on his face. Blinking away the sleep, he crept his way past his sister's room, finding it occupied.

His feet padded softly, watching each and every board he stepped on, careful of any noise. Bare feet made every attempt to avoid the floor, knowing that it would give him away at the best moment, waking his sister and throwing him into a nightmare realm of which there was no waking.

"Sunakku…"

The whimper was barely audible, as if it was trying to take back the prior words; yet was pitiful, as if begging. Dib could barely hear it, but it was unmistakably there. Picking up the pace, he slowly made his way to the kitchen area, where he presumed the sound came from.

"H-hello? Zim's leader?" Dib called out, eyes glancing around the room. It felt awkward to say the taller Irken's title, yet in the chaos of last night, he forgot to ask his name.

All remained silent. Gaz seemed not to have heard anything yet, despite the loud foreign language, and the mysterious way the knives were scattered along the floor. Dib padded into the room, his black pants swishing softly. It wasn't the lack of aliens that bothered him, it was the lack of movement.

"Sunakku…" The word resounded again, reaching the child's ears quickly. He glanced to the right, yet the voice wasn't there anymore. Dib didn't let his apprehension show, but slowly turned back as if the motion would somehow alert the intruder.

"Dibu." The kid froze, black scythe standing on end. The voice was right behind him now, waiting to steal away his soul. He turned, fear reflecting the dark purple glare in the taller being's eyes.

"P-p-pl-" Dib couldn't help but stutter, the darkness in the glare shining in the morning light.

"Dibu." Purple's voice was much more forceful. The Irken's claws grasped lightly around the child's neckline, claws dusting against the veins dangerously. He wanted in that infernal place, and to enjoy the treasures inside to the fullest. "Kotaca vanca sunakku."

"E-excuse me?"

The claws tightened. Eyes darkened until they glowed with the insanity. The irken leader growled, spinning the boy around until he was facing the door. "Ohpehn… tha… dor…" When the human didn't say or do anything, Purple became more irritated. His body wanted food, now. His calorie intake was higher than any other Irken's, and was already at his breaking point.

Dib was lost, his big head not understanding the simple words that seemed in a foreign language. But the being above him was getting irritated. So he carefully stepped towards the door, grasping the handle and turning it slowly, as if whatever was on the other side would attack him and eat his ear lobes.

Purple's eyes widened, his antennae sensing the high calories behind the wall of wood.

A soft click resounded, and Dib pulled the door open. But he wasn't fast enough to get out of the way.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"You know you had time to shower right?"

Dib sighed, his sister had been bothering him about the various crumbs, chunks and snack cakes splattered on his form. His hair was disheveled, slight bags under his eyes.

"I know, but then who would've cleaned it up?"

"It's your own fault, you know that right?"

Gaz had found it highly amusing to see her brother downstairs before her, cleaning icing off of the ceiling fan. Amusing until she noticed a box, grasped tightly in an aliens grasp. It was her cereal.

"How was I supposed to know he would go after the Coconutties Flakes?"

The two carried on, the occasional pidgeon landing on his head, and multiple people asking him if he needed directions to the nearest hospital so he wouldn't cause an epidemic of head-pigeons. Every time he moved it seemed as though the school was getting darker and darker. He just knew that Torque would poke fun at his misery even more so today.

His boots clacked all too loudly as he trudged his way up the stairs. The sign reading 'Skool' loomed over his head. Dib shifted his eyes uncomfortably as all the kids stopped and stared, whispering behind hands and making odd gestures.

Dib walked briskly, keeping his eyes downcast, trying to hide himself and his obvious sugar-coating from everyone. He only made it to his locker before some girls, clearly a year younger than him, came over and did something unexpected.

"You're Dib right?"

He was slightly shocked. "Um… yeah? Why?"

They squealed. Their voices echoed down the hallways, attracting more and more people. "We are, like, your biggest fans!"

One called out, "Will you sign my T-shirt?"

They all were saying things like, 'Thank you for saving earth!' or 'How did you know he was an alien?'

In other words, it was his dreams come true. He was pestered all day, not a moment went by when someone wasn't talking with him. The hallways were lined with fans at all times, his locker stuffed full of sweets and gifts. Even with the low rumbling of thunder reaching through the windows, he was happy.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Purple heard the windows rattle a little; the vibrations making his antennae rise slightly. He glanced out the window, the sky becoming a dark grey. Curious, he walked away from the one-way communication screen to the window.

He could sense the humidity increase in the air beyond the glass. Irk never had humidity spikes, as it was an arid, dry planet where it was still natural.

Flashes of light danced across the clouds, making the whole sky erupt in a bright glow. The sound rattled the windows until they rattled loudly. Water began falling from the sky, splashing on the ground before him. Purple was excited at the concept.

So excited, that he tore through the door, out into the pouring rain. He screamed.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

"Man! I figured that being a hero would be sweet, but this ROCKS!"

"Dib! Your voice is stupid! Shut up!"

Boots splashed in the newly formed puddles, the storm calming for what seemed to be long enough to get home before it got bad again. Dib's bag was weighted down with Millennia Rock CDs, candy bars, and the occasional fifty dollar bill. He smiled, hoping this would last until he could bring in another alien.

Gaz walked in ahead of him, not bothering to hold the door for him, all normal. She casually walked into her room, slamming the door and leaving Dib to his own devices. Par for the course.

Yet Dib stopped, noticing the small green drops spattered all over the floor. A light trail led to the cupboard. The light drops were dry, dissolving away into dust. The human grasped the doorknob, twisting it slowly as not to disturb whatever made the green splatters.

Inside was Purple, sitting and suckling gently on a wound. There were slight holes all over his body, most of them scabbed over and healing quickly. When he removed his hand, the indention on the back of his hand had become nothing more than a pale scar.

"Your planet is cold and it rains acid." The alien said bluntly.

Dib laughed.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The night came, and it went. The next day took forever to arrive, as Dib was eager to get to school and milk his newfound popularity for all its worth. He counted his CDs, ate the candy and stashed the money away. Yet it all meant nothing to him. The only thing he saw in the mirror was someone as popular as the head cheerleader.

Gaz walked behind him as he ran to the building, not even attempting to hide the energy within his ten-year-old body. Yet Dib stopped and waited for his sister to catch up, before he walked calmly and coolly into the building.

Everything was silent.

The door slammed shut behind the two as they walked in the empty hallways. No one seemed to be there, yet the classrooms were full of the loud and obnoxious flesh-bags. No one noticed the young paranormal investigator enter the classroom, and no one spoke to him as he took his seat. He could hear many of the conversations around the room.

"Did you hear about the earthquake in NC?"

"The new issue of Princess Code came out yesterday! It's sooo good!"

Everyone talked about nothing pertaining to the alien, or Dib. It was as if it never happened. He didn't say anything though, just because he thought it would ruin his newfound popularity.

The day flew by, no one treated him any differently than they had a few days prior to Zim's capture. He was called insane, pushed and shoved around, and everything in his locker was stolen.

The walk home was much calmer than the morning's trip. Gaz calmly played her GameSlave, not even listening to Dib's quiet, dejected rants.

"Dib, the reason you were ignored is because you are yesterday's news. Get over it."

And it was left at that.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Screams erupted from the unmarked room. They were shrieks of pain, fear, and panic. One could hear the tearing noises, and the occasional squish of an organ being stepped on.

The ambulance and hospital teams had a team on staff 24/7 at this point, and all experimentations had been put aside to deal with the current matter at hand. The only way to currently save lives was the newly invented Rejuvenation Chamber, with the side effect of being a child again.

No scientist ever wanted to go in that room, in fear of becoming an 8 year old again, having their wives take care of them and going through elementary school again. But if they were attacked, then that would be the only way of saving their lives.

After all, a monster lived in there. A monster that, if you said the wrong thing, would not hesitate to kill you.

Membrane could hear the newest victim's screams through the thick, steel walls. He set down the vial of pink fluid that bathed his goggles and lab coat in pink light.

He pressed the bright red button on this video paging system, watching the screen sort through the static to create the image of the Medical Manager and the Ambulatory Manager.

"Prepare the ambulance and send a team down into room 597y. Also prep Rejuvenation Chamber C, with parameters set for Staff Code 1408892."

"Yes sir."

The tall scientist shut the machine off, flipping another switch to watch what the creature in the next room had done.

"… _You hear me you pathetic flesh worm? YOU do not speak the ME or about MY PEOPLE that way!"_

Membrane winced as the small green creature ripped off the taller being's ear. There was blood all over the room, covering almost every inch and overlapping with stains from others who dared speak to him. He refused to give in to the delta inducer, tranquilizer darts, and many other ways to subdue the alien. But he always allowed the injured humans to be taken away.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Streetlights flew past the incognito car, black and shining with light as a pale human drove it. He was tall, with ghastly eyes that seemed inhuman. His driving skills were nearly perfect for the simple looking car. His passenger was a small, dark haired child who was engulfed by the plush seating.

"Turn right at the next intersection."

They had planned this operation carefully, using the most recent maps and knowing the security habits of the building. They had mapped out every direction, every room, scoping out a way to the target in the least amount of time possible all while remaining incognito to their surroundings.

"Remember the plan?"

"Go in, get the target, and get out. Simple enough."

The two pulled into the staff parking lot of Membrane Labs Inc. The building was no taller than the average two story building, but it was as long as a football field, with hallways extending to the multiple other buildings that were extensions of the main one. There were no windows, as other companies would kill just to enter the main lobby of the prestigious building. It held a gloomy air to it, as many experiments within this building had failed, and the scientists who didn't die were rejuvenated, with their memories erased.

This building had its fair share of break-ins which made this mission incredibly dangerous for the two.

They two approached the building, nearing the door with their disguises in place.

"State your names, staff numbers and job positions."

The two did as they were told.

"Pur Gluten, ID 2831057, recently hired to work with the 'problematic' wards."

"Cho Bits, ID 5028472, recently rejuvenated scientist that worked in disease control."

"Yes… all seems to be in order; carry on." The guard opened the door for them, locking it once they were inside.

They attempted to appear as they knew where they were going and what they were supposed to be doing. But let's face it: No plan ever survives contact with the enemy. They wandered through the halls, the Irken in disguise inwardly referring to the map he downloaded from an illegal site. Yet as they appeared to be getting closed to the room known as 507y, there was an immense sense of dread.

And it was completely justified.

The room was surrounded by medics, all with a grim look on their face. The door to the room was closed, not a sound was heard from the inside. Yet there was a distinctive sound coming from the Medics' stretcher: a baby crying.

Purple grew closer, and in formal English asked, "Excuse me? What happened here?"

"New guy huh? Well, I would hate to be you. The ward in there is a cranky one. He just did some real damage to this guy. We had to rejuve him four times before he stabilized. He's lucky though, at three he should have no problems with his new life."

They walked away with the crying toddler in one's arms, leaving the awe stricken two behind.

"Your father can make people young again?"

"First I've heard about it."

Things became quiet, accenting the muffled whirring of Purple's PAK and the soft breathing of Dib.

"You wanna go in first?"

"Nah I'm good."

They stood there, neither one of them moving. The noise continued, yet both were unaware that they had been standing there for minutes.

"Now or never."

"Never thought I'd truly be scared of Zim…"

"Same."

It was still a few moments before Dib reached forward and entered the combination on the pad. The machine beeped green and the locks clicked with approval. The door slowly slid open, giving the two no time to prepare themselves.

Inside was bathed in crimson darkness; almost every square inch of the room was covered in the liquid. There were clearly some spots when a janitor had tried to clean, but they didn't get very far. A small, pristine mattress lay on the floor, completely out of place from all the red. And sitting on top was the small alien, who had his back turned and was staring at the wall.

"Zim…?"

"Shut your noise hole pathetic human."

"Come on Zim… It's time to go…"

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

The former tallest sighed; clearly Zim was being his stubborn self. At least it was easier to convince Zim this way. He relaxed, letting the disguise on both himself and Dib flicker away like the hologram it was. The transition was silent, giving the smaller Irken no clue as to what was happening behind him.

"Zim."

"Shut your noise tube human or I will…!" Zim turned on the two, anger evident in his voice until he laid eyes on the two before him, their calm faces not looking away. "M-My Tallest..?"

"Zim."

"…Dib-human?"

"Oh NOW you notice me."

Zim finally allowed himself to smile, even though he was still angry that he was lied to and was captured. It graced his face only slightly, relief shining in his glassy orbs. Even though there were light blood splatters all over his front, they were fading away. "Shall we go?"

Membrane sighed as we watched through the glass of the monitor, he knew that those ID codes were invalid the moment the guard let them through, as all numbers were clocked and sent into the main database. Yet the other alien walked right into his lab! It would be positively foolish to let them escape, even if the alien had his son captive.

So, he grabbed the vial of pink liquid he was working on earlier, a poisonous gas that would eliminate the threat the Irkens possessed. There was also a high possibility that his son would be killed. Yet the chance needed to be taken for science.

The human waited near the door, just waiting for the heat signatures inside to open the door. His scythe-like hair bobbed slowly up and down as he breathed. There was a slight hiss as the door opened, and he flung the vial in.

"MY TALLEST! GET DOWN!" There was a large explosion as the vial cracked, and the liquid reacting to the oxygen formed the light mist that would surely incapacitate them. There was a horrible retching as Dib coughed, his lungs burning. The three panicked. They fled the room as the taller scientist watched them.

Purple was sent reeling at the attempted murder. The pink gas reminded him of when the armada had arrived to capture Vort, and they retaliated with their Scarlet Gas. The gas was a relatively new creation; it ate away at the PAK's ability to recycle the atmosphere into something breathable and made them suffocate. It also caused the ocular implants to malfunction. The humans were so stupid. The Vort scientists ceased production when it killed their own troops as well as the enemy.

The three pairs of boots pounded against the floor, all gasping lightly for breath. Hair and antennae whipped solidly with the air, they turned corner after corner, until all were completely positive they were lost.

Somewhere in their trek, they heard the intercom blare instructions to recapture them. More and more feet pounded against the ground at their heels, Membrane leading one group, and another led by a Police officer leading the other.

Dib panicked, he knew that if things kept up they would be oreo'd between two groups of guards and would end up getting themselves killed. He was getting tired from all the running he had to endure, yet the Irkens seemed to have no trouble at all holding the pace. He stumbled, slowing down just enough to realize that here was a corridor that branched off of the two main ones.

"Hang a left!"

And they did. They catapulted into the corridor, flinging open a random door and slamming them in. Dib was gasping for breath, trying to be as quiet as possible. The Irken's PAKs were whirring loudly as they tried to stabilize.

The room they were in was clearly an unused storage room. It was lit by only a few overhead lights, the white light making everything appear to be sterile and organized. They prayed to God and to Irk that their pursuers would overlook their hiding spot. Their prayers went unanswered.

The guards busted down the door, making the human jump and cower slightly, the taller Irken pushing him behind his back. Zim remained to the side of his leader, ready to fight for the death for him like he was trained to do.

Membrane stood on the other side of the fallen door, surrounded by soldiers with standard issue pistols drawn and aimed. The eyes behind the goggles watched the violet eyed Irken carefully.

Zim hissed.

"D…Dad…"

The professor tore his gaze away from the seemingly pupil-less eyes to his son, grasping tightly to the robes of the tall one in his small hands. His whole body wracked with terror, his eyes wide and glistening with adrenaline. When his eyes returned to the alien, the same scowl and glare met him, but with ferocity that seemed unmatched.

Membrane simply shook his head. "Fire at will, just try not to be too messy, after all, I would hate for my son to have nightmares."

Dib screamed.

It began raining bullets; the entire area where they once stood was covered in holes. They were hiding in the midst of the boxes. Dib and Purple were hiding on one side of the walkway, Zim on the other, ducking down at every noise that seemed too close.

"Use the PAK legs and get the Dib-human out of here!" Panic was rising in Zim's voice.

"I can't!"

Bullets began to pierce the boxes around them, holes making the hiding spot nearly useless.

"Why not?"

"They're broken!" Purple screamed out.

Dib screamed as a bullet whizzed by his ear. He was never so terrified in his life. He had never wanted his life to end like this. His own father had practically made him just another target for his personals. So he cried.

Purple couldn't help feel for the child. Based on his limited knowledge of the human race, this one was only ten years old. Practically a smeet, not even old enough to enter the academy. Clearly he had never been in a situation like this. All Irkens were trained for war situations, but humans were very different from Irkens.

Zim growled, knowing he had both a defenseless human and his leader to guard. Grabbing a random box, he threw it high in the air, watching the guards shoot it. All was silent as the chemicals nestled inside their cardboard coffin reacted. White light bathed the entire room.

It illuminated Zim's awestricken face. It brightened Purple and Dib, the taller Irken protecting the smeet-like child. Professor Membrane's face contorted into one of pure terror.

Then there was sound.

The explosion threw the humans back into the corridor, slamming into walls and through other unlocked doors. The soundwave made the entire ground shake, the energy making Purple's antennae flail about wildly. His robes tore as shrapnel sliced through, certain areas becoming singed. Heat immediately radiated from behind him, as Dib simply closed his eyes and held on for dear life.

The wind abruptly stopped. Fire could be heard crackling nearby, smoke and chemical fumes spilling into the air. Purple opened his eyes, which he never recalled closing, and was met with an intense orange light. He could feel the human underneath him begin to stir as well. The two helped each other to their feet.

"Zim!" Dib called. The smaller Irken didn't respond.

Purple wasn't as naïve. He knew that Zim couldn't answer after an explosion that intense. He was right under the explosion radius. No Irken would be able to withstand a blast like that and come out unscathed.

He wandered closer to the flames. The smoke in the air was muddling his senses, the only one unaffected was his sight. He prodded his way through the flames, until he came upon the charred body of Zim.

His legs were vaporized in the explosion, his arm also gone. Blood was pooling around him, keeping the flames at bay, but also killing him. The small invader moaned, pain wracking his body as it shivered, his PAK attempting to keep him alive.

Purple kneeled in the dark pool, his thin arms wrapping and hoisting the smaller being up. He motioned to Dib, and the two hurriedly walked from the room.

"Is there a machine that you know of that could save his life? I don't want to risk this so called, 'Rejuvenation Chamber'."

Dib nodded, leading the way at an agonizingly slow pace. The two left the searing hit corridor, the flames following them out of the doorway. No one seemed to bother with attempting to put out the flames, everyone was more concerned with saving their own skins or saving someone else's.

The heat from the fire faded, but never truly went away. Purple didn't mind it at all, relieved at the warmth. Yet the warmth was fading in his arms. Zim's blood covered his tattered uniform, the green stains mingling with his own blood. The screams of the dying and burning scientists reached his auditory sensors, making him want to cringe.

He looked down on the tiny soldier in his arms. Zim's head was resting on a gauntlet, his face smudged with soot, blood, and chemicals. His maroon eyes were concealed behind his eyelids. Antennae lay back against his head, the right bent at an awkward angle. Blood pumped steadily from his waist, his legs incinerated during the explosion. His entire right arm was ripped from its socket, contributing to the blood loss.

Neither Purple nor Dib said anything when Zim mumbled and cried out in his unawareness. They just strode on at a steady pace, refusing to run, in fear of making Zim worse.

Finally, Dib stopped before a door that looked identical to the countless others. Typing a code, the keypad relayed the message to the door, which obediently opened for the trio.

The room was filled with wires, extending from the far wall to cover every inch of wall. A panel blocked the way to what all of the wires was attached to. A tall, cylindrical machine extended up from the floor and reached for the ceiling. Metal embraced the tube, yet the inside was glowing a soft, sterile white. It towered over the former Tallest, making him gasp. Dib walked over, typing in his password and starting up the menacing piece of circuitry.

"I present to you the Roboticizer. Once a bid on eternal life, the machine would turn all those into robots. But it was abandoned for some reason fifty years ago, after a tragedy befell the scientist that was working on it. My father picked up the project again a few years ago."

Purple tentavely stepped over the wires, being aware of how he held on to the Irken. Zim's blood left a definite trail along the floor, making a soft splat with each drop. Easing him into the machine, he propped him up against the wall. Blood continued to pool around Zim, it was an absolute miracle he wasn't dead yet.

Purple retreated behind the panel, as Dib set up the machine. A glass door slid over the opening, giving the two a window for what was to happen to their comrade.

The machine hummed, a shrill noise resounding through the large room. White flecks of light surrounded Zim, bathing him in an unearthly light.

Maroon eyes opened a crack, feeling the warm sensation that the machine was giving him. It felt almost like the small aliens of planet Shugou were dancing on his skin.

Then it hit him.

Purple couldn't look away as the machine formed nanites at the base of the tube, they rose out of Zim's blood, zooming up and into the open wounds.

Zim could feel the small nanites file into his squeedly-spooch, eliminating the cells and replacing it with cold metal. It burned, stinging and singeing the remaining flesh until it was metallic. He could feel ls blood stop and run cold, nanites filling him. They extended from his arm's cavity, spiraling around each other, forming a new left arm and hand. The nanites twisted, forming two new legs for the Irken as well as setting his antennae.

Purple watched as the metal covered the invader's body, before the machine suddenly went dark, silencing and sliding the door open.

"… Was that supposed to happen?"

"If I say no, would you believe me?"

All was dark, then an audible click and whirring suddenly came from the machine's cavity. A clawed hand grasped the metal, fingers grasping the side. A loud scraping of metal on metal made Zim's other claws known, the three fingers replaced with a metal hand. Zim pulled himself from the machine, facing the floor. Slightly unsteady on his feet as stepped out, his feet were clad in what seemed to be rocket/hover skates. He had grown a few inches from the procedure, giving him a menacing aura as he rose. The antennae stood at attention on his head, shoulders relaxed as he stood. After a moment, he straightened his back, looking straight ahead with glowing red eyes and a neutral face. The metal had only reached his legs and arm, leaving the torso, head and other arm free from the metal's grasp.

A squad of soldiers and guards burst through the door, spilling orange firelight into the room. They aimed their guns at the two, disregarding or plainly not noticing the smaller android behind him. Their mission was simply to recapture the target.

It was over in a second.

The smell of death greeted the two as they opened their eyes. Zim was covered in blood before them, the dark red liquid bathing his pale green metallic parts, which seemed to flow smoothly, as if it was skin. Yet the small screws caught the light in such a way that it was obvious that the metal had covered his body. Light from behind covered the being in shadow, yet his eyes continued to glow a demonic red.

Purple was mortified, the small soldier before him was no longer Zim. Dib clutched to what remained of the Tallest's robes, hiding ever so slightly behind the taller being. Fear was creeping over the two, as Zim turned, and jumped out of the room, dodging the flames and pausing every now and then, as if trying to lead the two out of the building. They followed, the taller Irken leading the way with the tiny human trailing behind.

Loud cracks and booms resounded from overhead, making the human jump. Dib's lungs burned, the smoke raping his lungs. The fire lapped at his heels and legs, singeing the ends of his pant legs and blackening his boots. Suddenly, he couldn't breathe. He choked, falling to his knees and hands, unable to make his lungs work. They refused to inhale anymore smoke, threatening with a long and drawn out death.

With terrified eyes, he watched as the two Irkens fled, leaving him behind in the burning wreckage.

"Scanning immediate area… Vital signs located."

Amber eyes weakly opened. The soot covered face looked skywards.

"Target: Dib, located."

Dib's eyes slipped closed, conscious fading as Zim reached down. His metallic tinged and emotionless voice barely reaching his ears. Darkness enveloped his being, the warmth of the fire dulling, any chill fading until it was a distant memory.

Zim's priority was to get the Human Dib. An oxygen mask emerged from the shiny, nanite coated PAK, and the android placed it gently on the humans face. His scanners indicated the human was still breathing, heart still beating, if barely. His current mission was complete, time to return.

The fire lapped around the Irken, who carried the human bridal style, finding no other way to carry the limp human. Line upon line of binary code flitted through his head, zeros and ones visible at the edges of the crimson stained eyes.

Every detail from his rocket shoes to his repaired antennae remained untouched throughout his walk back. He did not question anything, he followed the orders that had appeared from somewhere in the back of his mind. He glanced down at Dib, face remained still and neutral throughout the ordeal.

A wall blocked the path to what his internal scanners showed was his voot cruiser and an Irken of immense height inside. The wall, black and imposing, dared to stand tall before the robot.

Shifting the unconscious human in his grasp so that he could still be within the reach of the mask, he reared back his left arm. The entire wall exploded, the gunfire from the thin gauntlet ripping holes in the weakening concrete.

The alien shuttle hovered gently above the ground, making whatever blades of grass that remained unburned bend. Purple hid at the controls, typing in coordinates furiously, attempting to activate some sort of cloaking device before all of D.C. were on them like flies on a dead thing.

The small pseudo-invader jumped gracefully onto the cruiser, climbing through the sunroof that he installed right after arriving. He landed in a kneeling position, holding tightly onto the singed human. He rested the human on a backseat, watching apathetically as his head rested on the seat, leaning towards his right shoulder.

"You did well Zim. Didn't think you had it in ya."

"…"

The comment was stored in Zim's memory banks as he began the sleep mode sequence. The code that danced in his eyes faded, as the crimson gained a more of a purple hue. Eyes returned to their original maroon coloring, antennae relaxing against his head. He took a seat in the corner of the cruiser, listening to the fading sounds of the engine cranking to life. Shutting his eyes, Zim allowed himself to relax, and recharge.

Purple sighed. He knew that life would be a pain from this point on, but it was a price that had to be paid. Because the empire was a regime of slavery, and it needed to be brought down. The system in place made it so that only the Talls could be successful, and any one short would be doomed to live as cannon fodder or as table-headed service drones. It was a pity really.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

OMG… I cannot believe I drug this out for so long! D: But I finally decided, 'screw drama, life and work, I'm gonna do this!' And I did! The entire ending may be a bit… well, you just read it so you would know. I am sooo sorry this took so long and Im so happy that you were patient with me. I tried really hard to keep everyone IC but if there are spots I'm so sorry! PLus I know areas seem rushed, and they were... anyways. Please enjoy this extra long chapter! :3 **8,578 words not including this note! That makes this the longest, non-school related piece of work I have EVER WRITTEN.**

Peace

MLI


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